"The two companies were fully aware of my state," Galliano told the court in French, according to WWD. "I took Valium so I could get through fittings.

"I can't let the 17 years I spent and enjoyed at Dior be blackened like this. During these years as creative director of this house, I did not realize that its success, multiplying its sales by four, came at a destructive and exorbitant cost: my physical and mental health," he added.

"Always more work, always more obligations, always more pressure, a dangerous and pathological spiral, without control."

The Gibraltar born designer made no statement as he left court on Monday, accompanied by his long-term partner Alexis Roche. He is now the new creative director of Martin Margiela.

Market sources estimate the company generates about 100m euros annually, or $126m at current exchange. It operates around 50 directly owned stores.

Last year, Jonathan Newhouse, chairman and chief executive officer of Condé Nast International, told British Vogue that after Galliano went into addiction recovery, he had formed a friendship with the designer and had "opened some doors to the Jewish community," introducing him to Jewish leaders and Rabbi Barry Marcus from London's Central Synagogue.